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Hospital lead levels 'no cause for concern'

Lead tests carried out at a Brisbane hospital have found levels
are safely below recommended standards, health authorities say.

Queensland Health today said there was no need to worry about
children being exposed to lead at the Royal Brisbane and Women's
Hospital after air and surface swabs returned results below the
levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).

Precautionary tests were carried out at the hospital last month
as the building was being stripped of lead paint.

Further testing found "concerning results" on January 16.

They revealed levels of lead slightly higher than the safety
levels recommended by the EPA, with readings of 1.7 to 2.0
micrograms per cubic metre compared with the recommended 90-day
average of 1.5 micrograms.

But Central Area Population Health Service acting director Dr
Rod Davison said the latest results for January 17 to 19 showed
levels of 0.5 units or lower.

"These results indicate that when these tests were taken, there
was no need for concern about young children being exposed to lead
in these locations," Dr Davison said.

"In particular, results at the (adjoining) Royal Childrens'
Hospital (RCH) were below the level of detection."

However, Dr Davison said the latest series of air tests might
have returned lower results because of rain and more tests would be
carried out in dry weather.

Queensland Health would also continue to monitor surface lead
levels.

The RCH has sent precautionary letters to the parents of 700
children who have spent more than two weeks at the hospital in the
past 12 months.

It is also offering precautionary blood lead testing for
children who have spent long periods on site.

RCH paediatrician and director of community and child health Dr
Neil Wigg said concerned parents should have their children tested,
but believed the risk of exposure was "very minimal".

Queensland Health said two children had been tested but no
results were available.